Recover608

Hi all,

OK, this is tricky. First time post and been sober for just a week. 35 years old and I have been a very heavy drinker for 15 years. Started showing signs of liver damage and nerve damage and have decided it's now or never.

Really looking for any advice in the first initial 1-3 months. I have managed to go dry for 35 days this January and also last year but the binge drinking has taken it's toll.

I live in Hong Kong...possibly the worst place to try and go dry and really looking for any hints or tips...

Thanks all, not easy posting this at first

Dee74

Hi and welcome Recover0608
We actually have a few members from SEAsia - I hope you'll hear from them.

Staying sober is hard in the initial days - you already know that...I think support is very important - some lifestyle changes might be called for too.

If you were open to the idea of AA and face to face support, there's sure to be something in Hong Kong.

Regardless of that, there's support here 24/7. I'm glad you found us

D

Verte

Recover608 - welcome to the forum.

This is a great place to be with whatever may come your way. Stick around. Lots of great advice and experience. The 'Newcomers Forum' is super active if you ever find that you need varied advice, fast.

Stoogy

Welcome to SR, as Dee said there is a great support group right here Recover608, really glad you found us.

Recover608

Thanks guys, much appreciated.

MIRecovery

AA worked for me when all else failed. Give it a try it has worked for countless others

PurpleKnight

Welcome to the Forum!! You'll find loads of support here, great to have you onbaord!!

gardendiva

Welcome! This is what is working for me:

1. Sobriety is my #1 priority. It comes before job, spouse, kids, everything. If I don't stay sober, I will lose it all.

2. The first drink gets me drunk so I don't take the first drink no matter what. I do not drink even if I'm depressed, angry, sad, happy, scared, nervous, excited, disappointed, resentful, hurt, tired, exhilarated, energetic, lethargic, agitated or joyous. I don't think about forever, just today.

3. I am learning everything I can about alcohol dependency. Best books for me so far have been The Small Book by Jack Trimpey, Living Sober by Anonymous, How to Stay Sober: Recovery Without Religion by James Christopher and Under the Influence by Milam and Ketchum. There is a lot of great info on the AA Agnostica website too.

4. I drink NA beer. Some people are leary of it as a possible trigger, but it is not for me. (See # 2)

5. I visit this forum for fellowship.

Good luck and keep coming back!

IOAA2

Hi. Good post gardendiva except I take exception with drinking NA beer. It does have about 1% alcohol and has been very harmful to many alcoholics who didn’t realize that.

BE WELL

gardendiva

Most NA beers have less that 0.5% alcohol by volume. There are a few 0.0% NA beers out there as well.

Hawkeye13

I also drink NA beer at times and also have found it to be helpful and it does not trigger me either.

To each their own

IOAA2

"Other than the fact that all "NA" beer does contain a small amount of alcohol, there is now a new study out that seems to support the theory that it can cause a relapse for recovering alcoholics.

In the November issue of the Journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, a team of California scientists report that smell may be enough to trigger cravings and a subsequent relapse among certain alcoholics."

Pay your money, take YOUR chances.

gardendiva

All I'm saying is that it is helpful, not harmful to MY recovery.

Alcohol is in my home and my workplace. If I let smell trigger a relapse I wouldn't have made it this far.

IOAA2

That’s fine for some but I’m speaking about facts for people to be aware of. Maybe I could handle it but that’s a chance I won’t take. Over many years I’ve seen too many relapses by people who “didn’t know.”
Things like mouth wash, different over the counter meds, cologne, cider that turned and on and on.
Just a heads up.
BE WELL

Treerat66

Hi Recover608, welcome to SR

Hawkeye13

Same with me.
Awareness is very important, I agree,
but NA beer has been a welcome tool
in my recovery toolbox.

Sometimes in the summer when grilling by the pool,
it is what makes the hot dog taste magical . .
OK, now back to topic


Dear OP--I'm glad to hear you are serious about quitting.
What types of things are you willing to do?
Some people do very well with 12 step programs like AA or Rational Recovery

Others make an independent plan but you have to impose your own structure when you do this.
I choose to quit on my own--however, initial detox can be dangerous as your blood pressure, etc. can elevate etc.
so we suggest going to see a doctor to get some support.

Detox or an inpatient treatment program also works very well for many.
I couldn't afford that or take time off work, so I treated my home like a detox place--
got rid of all alcohol in the house, (dump it, don't drink it friend )
got lots of healthy food, joined crossfit, bought some recovery books from Amazon, and
made an absolute commitment to myself that I would not take a drink for any reason, stress or no stress.

The first few weeks were hard, but it got much easier after that.

I don't regret quitting at all. I feel better than I ever have as an adult

I

Mountainmanbob

Welcome to site

Although some have no problem with it
Non alcoholic drinks
Are never recommended for one in recovery

MM

Hawkeye13

I don't want to keep getting off topic, but I must ask
with all due respect MM
"recommended" by whom? AA? Some medical studies?
Such studies are very limited in target population and other data
which are controlled and cannot be generalized to the whole population.

That's only a few sources among many.
I recognize awareness is important, but it
is unreasonable to assume that what AA says is for everyone. It isn't.

I think we have been made the point that everyone has a different approach,
and no one approach is better than another.
A recommendation such as your a speaking about cannot also be
generalized to all alcoholics.

May all the tribe practice their individual approaches to sobriety in peaceful co-existant harmony

SoberLeigh

Welcome, Recover608. This forum is great for encouragement, support and understanding. We might be virtual but we're real.

gardendiva

Actually, non-alcoholic drinks are the only ones recommended for those in recovery.

Seriously, it seems a shame not to recommend something that can be helpful to some.

Sorry for the tangent Recover608. I will start a new thread on NA beer for those who want to discuss it further.